BLADE RUNNER

Blade Runner (1982)
Directed by Ridley Scott

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

   
Blade Runner: a now cult classic sci-fi film that asks many thematic questions, all the while holding a significant place in cinematic history, despite mixed reactions to the film. It was based (loosely I might add) on Do Androids Dream of Sheep, a novel by Philip K. Dick. To understand the film it is important to be privy to film noir, a heavy inspiration for the movie itself.  Film Noir is a genre of film with something of an ambiguous definition (just ask Dr. Gruesser). The exact definition is as follows: a film genre that offers dark or fatalistic interpretations of reality. The term is applied to U.S. films of the late 1940s and early '50s that often portrayed a seamy or criminal underworld and cynical characters. The films were noted for their use of stark, expressionistic lighting and stylized camera work, often employed in urban settings (Merriam-Webster.com).  Yet there is more to it than the text book definition, it is characterized by a particular mood/atmosphere, and you’ll know it when you see it. These films tend to have a hard-nosed detective or police officer, a femme fatale, a mystery, and a dreary atmosphere with dark lighting. The genre went on to inspire future works which have been christened “Neo-Noir” – relatively contemporary films that utilize many of the same elements that defined the film noir genre, albeit with modern elements, themes, and styles not found in their predecessors.

   
Blade Runner was something of a flop upon its initial release. It can be considered a cult classic and garnered more attention and critical praise after the fact. It took a stark contrast in terms of atmosphere from many of the dystopian futures presented in the 70’s, which were characterized by sterile environments, uniformity, and blanketed in white lifelessness (think Kubrick’s 2001). Instead it presents a world diverse in nature (why did everyone seem to wear the same outfit in those other films anyway), a harsh world, and characters full of life, gritty as they may have been. It was a new take on what may come while simultaneously nodding to the classics (Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, etc) and presenting heavy questions about our definition of humanity, our insatiable desire to play god, and losing touch with the world around us. It is easy to see how so many seemed turned off by the film, but it is one of those movies that has heuristic value, you tend to extrapolate something different from it upon multiple viewings, a feat few films manage to accomplish.

2) Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content.  You may use the library or the internet.  

On Blade Runner: More Human than Human

By... Nick Abadzis

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/04/on-blade-runner-more-human-than-human

Nick Abadzis – a comic writer/artist and editorial consultant – took time to reflect on the most prevalent theme in Blade Runner, humanity. Blade Runner may have had a lackluster response initially due to expectations; fans that may have gone into theatres with expectations of a major action film were unpleasantly surprised. Expectations can often affect your fondness, or lack thereof, for a film. Yet if you view the film with fresh eyes and set expectations aside you can find a rather interesting film.

What is humanity? How is it defined?  Is it Self-awareness, transcendent thought, or the sum of our memories?  “If a man is the sum of his memories but we can’t even rely on that, then what are we?”(Adadzis). Or is it emotions, if so the irony lies in the fact that the seemingly inhuman Replicants convey more emotions than the ever stoic Deckard himself.  Deckard seems to be wandering through life, his current career is undefined, and often he is cold. In seeking extensions on their life cap, the Replicants are infused with raw emotion and seem almost as if to have souls despite their few years of life. Has tolerating oppression (despite their brief lifetimes) infused them with emotion, and therefore a soul?

   

He argues that maybe we aren’t born human, but develop said humanity over a lifetime of experiences. Our humanity also changes, and is in constant flux due to new information, novel events, and our progressive thought processes (heavy, I know). In the end Deckard falls in love with a Replicant, this seamlessly soulless and false human manages to win over Deckard, a man tasked with eliminating her very kind. Furthermore he mentions how our technological growth which is meant to improve our quality of life only seems to draw us further away from our own humanity.  

   

    3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.   How did the article support or change the way you thought about the film, director, content, etc.?

This is third time viewing the film for me, and I have to agree with the author. The film may not be perfect, and can even be debated on its merits, but it presents some fairly heavy thoughts on who we are as a people, what defines us, and where we are going from here. True to the articles arguments, despite the Replicants so called false humanity, the movie manages to deliver some empathy for them. For instance, Roy is the only one among the Replicants who violently kills. The other murders that occurred were spoken of but never shown on screen. Deckards violent murders are given more screen time and greater weight. When he shoots down Zhora, he does so by firing multiple times at a fleeing enemy. The shots are in slow motion and she crashes ever so slowly through the glass – a cruel death. Deckard himself seems to be cold hearted and unforgiving. They use euphemisms when referring to how the murder Replicants, calling it “retiring” stripping them of thier mortality. The humans in the film seem so sure of what defines them, yet their actions are in stark contrast to the very notion.

The world is also depicted as filthy, with massive towers that seem to place us ever further from the natural world. Genuine animals are a rarity, now a thing of the past. We play god and eventually our own creations make us pay for our hubris, like Roy did to Dr. Tyrell. Eventually a Rachael breaks through to Deckard – the inevitable character arc—and he falls in love with her, redefining his perspectives on human kind.

The article also spoke of rumors of the sequel. We all know that many sequels are notorious for not living up to the original, even taking away from the franchise all together. Do I expect perfection, god no, but let’s hope it at least carries itself in a respectable manner.  

4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article.  I am less interested in whether you liked or disliked a film, (although that can be part of this) than I am in your understanding of its place in film history or the contributions of the director.

I found myself appreciating Blade Runner after a course I took with Dr. John Gruesser. In the course we heavily analyzed film noir and all the elements that define it. So as I viewed Blade Runner I found myself more appreciative of its homage to the classic and usually misunderstood genre. Deckard serves as the no-nonsense sense detective adorned in a new age trench coat with a mystery to unravel and a dark obstacle to overcome. The mystery serves to take our hero through his eventual change internally, after all, if the character has learned nothing from the experience than what is the point. Rachael is the archetype for femme fatales, albeit with a greater level of innocence. Nonetheless she proves to be a cigarette smoking seductress, and Deckards involvement with her invites danger. The city is dreary, and rain seems to be forever on the forecast, allowing the gloomy atmosphere that noir is known for. The world it is set in is seedy and filled with characters lacking moral fiber. The low-key lighting is moody, and god forbid that you have noir without the blinds casting a heavy shadow over our characters faces. The greatest part is that it does all this while bringing all the aforementioned elements into a unique dystopian universe which serves to bring up resilient themes unique to science fiction.

   

People tend to devalue science fiction as not having a strong story, more of an excuse to have robots and shoot lasers. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Science fiction allows for strong story telling presented in a unique way. The Replicant vs. Human battle at the heart of Blade Runner serves to question our humanity. The Replicants themselves are a physical metaphor for our questionable personal identity. The harsh new age landscapes represents our technological growth exponentially increasing to the point where we lose touch with ourselves. So maybe, just maybe, I’m reading too far into the film, but if it has made me (and many others) put so much thought into it, it must be significant filmmaking.

     


Plagiarism Statement:  Attach this to the end of every journal assignment.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Benjamin F. M. Novoa     Date: 2/15/2014